On Eve of Final Appeal, Opposition Leader Says It’s Next Generation’s Turn

KUALA LUMPUR—Malaysia’s veteran opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim is trying on a new, softer persona as the final stage in his sodomy case begins Tuesday: Uncle Anwar.

For years, Mr. Anwar traded on his reputation as a fiery student leader who cut his teeth in the 1970s. His grit and wit propelled a career in government in the 1990s before he was sacked after challenging the leadership of Mahathir Mohamad, who had transformed Malaysia from a tin-mining backwater to a major manufacturing power.